Odd behaviour from a dealer

barryfitz

Would the rest of you find this odd?
Im looking for a second car, something small, cheap to run, inexpensive to buy etc. I came across a car on donedeal that fitted the bill. So I rang the mobile number (only number in the add) and left a message but never got a call back. So I googled the number and it turns out that the car is for sale at the Beacon Motor Group out in Sandyford. I then rang the landline number that I got from their website and asked about the car in question. All of a sudden the guy on the phone started asking me alot of questions about how come I was ringing the landline and not the mobile number and mentioned that the car isnt on their website. I felt a bit like he was interrogating me

Why would a dealer place an add on donedeal and not on their own websites catalogue??? Perhaps the car in question isnt prestigious enough for them!!??

Riskymove

barryfitz wrote: »

Would the rest of you find this odd?
!

the guy probably works there but is selling it privately

cjt156

Maybe the salesman is doing a semi-private sale off the company's books* and you've caught him sh!tty?



*place legal disclaimer here

D'oh, snap OSI.

ottostreet

link to the car?

REXER

It could be a dealer trying to sell a lemon as a private deal to avoid selling it with a warrantee! The dealer may know that the engine is stuffed etc.

cul-2008

I reckon we should all ring him up :cool:

barryfitz

I think I will go and see the car anyway and ask him straight out why he hasnt listed it on his own site. See what he comes out with . Its NCT'd till the middle of 2012 and has low mileage for an 11 year old car but I suppose the engine could be on the way out. Hope its not one of those "too good to be trues"

firefly08

I'm pretty sure that's the 3rd thread I've seen in the last week or so to mention this particular dealer by name. OP, I'd do a search of the motors forum if I were you.

barryfitz

firefly08 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that's the 3rd thread I've seen in the last week or so to mention this particular dealer by name. OP, I'd do a search of the motors forum if I were you.

Sorry but the other threads dont mention this practise. I know I have read them. Just because other threads mention the dealer by name doesnt mean I should go hijacking or ressurecting ancient/locked threads.

firefly08

I wasn't suggesting that you hijack or resurrect them.

ottostreet

firefly08 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that's the 3rd thread I've seen in the last week or so to mention this particular dealer by name. OP, I'd do a search of the motors forum if I were you.

You're right, and none of them have been particularly positive!

coylemj

If he is a franchise dealer then the distributor would expect that every 2nd hand car that he sells has new tyres, is serviced and comes with a warranty - all of the nice stuff that distances him from the indies who sell from pre-fabs.

If the car is 11 years old then it would be too expensive for a dealer to purchase a warranty so he has to let it go under the counter, hence it is not on his website and you'll probably be asked to sign a 'sold as seen' disclaimer if you decide to buy which will effectively mean zero warranty i.e. it will effectively be a private sale.

It's probably being sold for one of the employees or a friend of the boss.

barryfitz

firefly08 wrote: »

I wasn't suggesting that you hijack or resurrect them.

apologies for getting snotty, I just read your post wrong. yeah I have read them and none of them have been very positive.

FR.Ted Crilly

I bet he is selling scrappage deal cars the cu%t, it was happining a lot when they first started the scrappage deals some time back still its probably a reasonable car at the right price, and remember there is a heat sensitive security cicrle on the log book (owners cert) check it out

tagine

there customer services is very bad
went to look at car there last week and they were not nice to deal with

was also question me where i seen the car cause the car was on 2 site for different prices and in garage for a different price again

very rude to deal with

andyseadog

coylemj wrote: »

If he is a franchise dealer then the distributor would expect that every 2nd hand car that he sells has new tyres, is serviced and comes with a warranty.

If the car is 11 years old then it would be too expensive for a dealer to purchase a warranty so he has to let it go under the counter, hence it is not on his website and you'll probably be asked to sign a 'sold as seen' disclaimer if you decide to buy which will effectively mean zero warranty i.e. it will effectively be a private sale.

whatever about all second hands being sold having to be serviced, roadworthy and warrantied, i've never hear where a franchise requires every second hand being sold to have new tyres?

reckon your about right with the fact that its just a cheap car that it would be foolish/ uneconomical for the dealer to put a warranty on.

FR.Ted Crilly wrote: »

I bet he is selling scrappage deal cars the cu%t, it was happining a lot when they first started the scrappage deals some time back still its probably a reasonable car at the right price, and remember there is a heat sensitive security cicrle on the log book (owners cert) check it out

you make it sound like murder. there's nothing wrong with selling scrappage scheme cars once all the paperwork is done correctly.

Big Nasty

Beacon are an Indy dealer not franchised so rule out the scrappage thing for starters. They are known to price their cars to sell and not willing to budge much on sticker price. I have heard mixed reports about their service / attitude on here and elsewhere but a relation of mine bought a car from them a year or so back and is very happy with it.

To be honest my impression of any dealer listing a car on done deal but not on their own website and also listing a mobile number and not the dealer landline would indicate to me that they are trying to flog the car off privately without a warranty. If they don't have enough faith in the car to put it on their stocklist I would avoid. Maybe there's other reasons to practice the above but I doubt it to be honest.

I bet if you ring up to enquire about the car they will suggest you meet them down the road somewhere and not in the dealership.

EDIT: Here's another thread on this from yesterday

mantaraver

andyseadog wrote: »

you make it sound like murder. there's nothing wrong with selling scrappage scheme cars once all the paperwork is done correctly.

I don't personally agree with scrapping good cars that have loads left in them. That said, isn't the scrappage scheme actually supposed to scrap said cars. If they are being resold again then the whole scheme's an ass alltogther (lol, is already imo.:D)

jeanbyrne_fan

what is it with buying a car in ireland. it should be an enjoyable experience, instead of worrying about how badly ur gonna get shafted and having to put up with attitude from arthur daley types. buying a new car is no better.

-Chris-

Like anything, you just need to do your research. You could get shafted buying nearly any substantial purchase.

I'd also have concerns about a car that's not good enough to put on the website, but instead of selling it to the trade they're trying to retail it privately.

It could be something dodgy, it could be a salesperson taking a mint (but old) trade-in and trying to sell it themselves to make a few quid.
You could be at either end of the spectrum, but you'll be ok if you have the car checked out thoroughly and the price reflects the warranty, or lack thereof.

cojomo2

OP, how much is the car going for?

barryfitz

Car is going for €1000

Big Nasty

barryfitz wrote: »

Car is going for €1000

So it can be argued that if the car is only worth €1k it would not be worth their while giving a three month warranty on it. However, they are a car dealer and the have to give a warranty so theym are misrepresnting themselves with the done deal ad.

I would call this 'pulling a fast one'.

RobAMerc

In fairness if I were a dealer trying to build a rep for having high end stuff but could make a few quid selling a car I thought was decent enough to sell "privately" rather than shipping it via the trade, I would do so. They may also be trying to do someone who bought a car from them for cash a favour by shifting the car for them. The way people treat ever seller as a crook worthy of total contempt here on boards is outrageous. Just because someone is doing something you don't understand ( without having the full facts ) doesn't mean they are up to something dodgy.

reminds me of the Savage Eye barman character - "Them lot are doing something different to how I would do it, they must be Quayers !":D

cojomo2

barryfitz wrote: »

Car is going for €1000

If you can, I would avoid this car, and up the budget to 3k.

For this price you should be able to find a very nice, excellent condition well looked after 6 yr old car(with NCT) , low mileage (25-30k), full service history, cheap tax, very cheap running costs....much better than buying a heap of junk cheap and then finding out you have to spend more than the price of the car fixing things that go wrong..

Big Nasty

RobAMerc wrote: »

In fairness if I were a dealer trying to build a rep for having high end stuff but could make a few quid selling a car I thought was decent enough to sell "privately" rather than shipping it via the trade, I would do so. They may also be trying to do someone who bought a car from them for cash a favour by shifting the car for them. The way people treat ever seller as a crook worthy of total contempt here on boards is outrageous. Just because someone is doing something you don't understand ( without having the full facts ) doesn't mean they are up to something dodgy.

reminds me of the Savage Eye barman character - "Them lot are doing something different to how I would do it, they must be Quayers !":D

Fair point, but they are blatantly trying to hide the fact that it's not a private sale - wouldn't that set of alarm bells with you? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the car but the practice would put me off.

cojomo2 wrote: »

If you can, I would avoid this car, and up the budget to 3k.

For this price you should be able to find a very nice, excellent condition well looked after 6 yr old car(with NCT) , low mileage (25-30k), full service history, cheap tax, very cheap running costs....much better than buying a heap of junk cheap and then finding out you have to spend more than the price of the car fixing things that go wrong..

There's nothing wrong with a €1k car once it all checks out and has a bit of NCT on it.

lifer_sean

cojomo2 wrote: »

If you can, I would avoid this car, and up the budget to 3k.

For this price you should be able to find a very nice, excellent condition well looked after 6 yr old car(with NCT) , low mileage (25-30k), full service history, cheap tax, very cheap running costs....much better than buying a heap of junk cheap and then finding out you have to spend more than the price of the car fixing things that go wrong..

With all due respect, I'd have to disagree with everything cojomo says there. It's all about what you buy (model, condition) and not what you spend. You could buy an older japanese boringly reliable car for 500 euro and it could last for years, or pay 3000+ euro for <insert most hated brand here> and it could break your heart.

Also, a 6 yr old car (=2005) with full service history and less than 30k miles, and with small engine size for cheaper tax bands for less than a 3000 euro budget ... not a hope. If you can find some, bring half a dozen of them to me and I'll give you profit on your 3000 euro.

cojomo2

lifer_sean wrote: »

Also, a 6 yr old car (=2005) with full service history and less than 30k miles, and with small engine size for cheaper tax bands for less than a 3000 euro budget ... not a hope. If you can find some, bring half a dozen of them to me and I'll give you profit on your 3000 euro.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Hyundai/Getz/1.1-CDX-/201110201514883/advert?channel=CARS

what about this one? I'ts in a 3,500..but I'm sure with a bit of a push you could get it very close to 3k...

edit..even if you got that for 3,200..its got close to a full years tax on it which brings it in around the 3 k mark..